Parish Secretaries’ SeminarOctober 3-4
will be held at Bird-In-Hand Family Inn

Parish Secretaries’ SeminarOctober 3-4

You are cordially invited to join us this October 3 and 4 for the annual Parish Secretaries’ Seminar, which will again be held at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, located in Bird-in-Hand, PA.

The Bird-in-Hand Family Inn is located close to many Lancaster attractions and outlet shopping. Our meals will all be at the smorgasbord, which changes daily and at each meal. We are again (accepting or limited to) seventy (70) registrations. Please send in your registration as early as possible to avoid being left out.

The Parish Secretaries’ Seminar is a one and a half day ecumenical, educational, non-profit seminar designed to provide opportunities to strengthen work skills needed in the modern office, to network with other secretaries/administrators, and to grow spiritually. Originally started by the Northeastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we have expanded in recent years. As a result, secretaries, administrative assistants and office support personnel from every denomination are welcome. The topics covered vary each year, and are designed to be a mix of useful, on-the-job programs and personal growth. We do our best to schedule sessions that are relevant to the brand-new secretary and the veteran alike. We strongly encourage congregations and agencies of any church to provide this event as continuing education for their support staff.

For individuals arriving on Monday evening, a smorgasbord breakfast begins at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday in the restaurant. Monday dinner is on your own.

For individuals arriving on Tuesday morning, a light continental breakfast will be available at the registration area in “D” lobby.

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. followed by a full day of sessions interspersed with devotions, meals, and free time.

Wednesday will begin with breakfast at the smorgasbord, then devotions with Holy Communion, followed by another informative session.

The seminar will conclude following lunch on Wednesday.

This year’s theme is “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” We will have two sessions on Tuesday, with each one presented twice so that no one misses out on either one. Mary Lou Hatcher will lead the workshop on ChurchPolitics: “Staying Out of the Storm” which will help us wade through the myriad of politics in today’s church. And, how to stay positive even though we disagree with one another. The Rev. Kurt Garbe will lead Churches inTransition: “Making Your Way Through the Fog” which will help churches dealing with budgetary cuts and down-sizing. At 12:00 noon, we will take a break for a delicious lunch at the smorgasbord, and switch sessions for the afternoon.

Following the afternoon session, you will have time to pick up your room key and for free time. You might want to enjoy the swimming pool, the exercise room, etc. that the hotel has to offer. There is outlet shopping nearby, as well as a multitude of other things to do in the area. We will gather at 6:15 p.m. in the Eagle Room for a meal blessing and head, as a group, for a smorgasbord dinner.

In order to help offset cost increases, we will again have a basket raffle. If you would like to donate a basket for the raffle, please indicate this on the registration form. At 7:45 p.m., we will have the basket raffle in the Eagle Room. Following the raffle, those who wish to do so may remain in the Eagle Room for a movie.

Wednesday will begin with breakfast at the smorgasbord, which opens at 7:00 a.m., followed by devotions with Holy Communion at 8:45 a.m. led by our Spiritual Leader, The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Ollikainen. Following devotions, Julia Menzo will present our third topic, “Financial Lifeboat” where she will discuss ways to put the ‘fun’ back into fund-raising.

Since we know that finances are a concern for many churches, rest assured we do everything we can to keep costs down. The cost for this year’s seminar is again just $250, which includes one night’s lodging (double occupancy), five meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Tuesday, and breakfast and lunch on Wednesday), presenter fees, and workshop materials. Please see the registration form for other options.

We encourage attendees to please bring samples of fund-raising projects and ideas that your congregation has used to share with the group.

The registration form, along with your payment, must be received by July 17 in order to receive the early registration discount. Please make checks payable to Parish Secretaries’ Seminar. Send your completed form and payment to: Kathy Reyher, 1330 N. Wahneta St., Allentown, PA 18109. NO registrations can be accepted after August 22.

Refunds (less a $50 processing fee) are available before July 17. For cancellations made between July 17 and August 28, half of the registration fee will be refunded. We will be unable to offer refunds for any cancellations received after August 28. If you find you must cancel your registration, please contact Kathy Reyher at 610-437-3018.

We hope you will consider joining us this year. We truly believe it will be a blessing both to you and to the congregation or agency you serve. You will receive confirmation of your seminar registration and roommate assignment in September. A list of participants will be included for car-pooling. In the meantime, if you have any questions, contact Kathy Reyher, at 610-437-3018. We can’t wait to see you!